'Kay ! I have had a look at my priorities. I have decided to reject all my remaining pride and self esteem, and consider the following;
a small SUV is OK
as is a small estate
a hatchback will work if it fits within the restrictions below.
Next step is establishing a shortlist.
Must be a full fat Milk Float
Must exceed 200 miles to a charge (obvs the moar the merrier)
Must have storage to hold at least 3 large suitcases
Must cost less than £35K
Must not look like a child’s drawing
Cars I am considering are; Nissan Leaf, Kia e-Niro, VW ID3/4, MG5, MG ZS with caveats
Common, somebody suggest a Lexus LS400, I dare ya !
My son has a Kia e-Niro. In sports mode it’s shit off a shovel. In normal driving it gets 260 to 280 actual to a charge. For example driving down to us (130 miles) in very heavy traffic he had 120 miles left after a full charge. Driving back in clear traffic he had 140 miles left after same.
He reckons it would hold 3 large suitcases comfortably.
The only downside is that it moans a lot with bleeps and screen message abuse if you don’t behave but these could probably be turned off if he could be arsed to look.
He’s got the top of the range model and he’s very pleased with it.
Skoda Enyaq. Standard range model has, potentially, a range greater than 200 miles, and comes in at less than 35k, so you get the 2.5k gov grant on it. The higher range model doesn’t qualify for this, and is not really any quicker due to the extra weight of the bigger battery. Decent boot also. I looked at these a few weeks ago, but not quite ready to change mine.
What came to mind, here (D) Hyundai/Kia have a 5/7 year warranty.
VW/Skoda offer 2 years.
If you buy as a private person and/or if you want to sell after some years, it might be another consideration.
It’s also worth saying, if you find the ID3 is big enough and you like the interior (I don’t) you can drive a very hard bargain at the dealer. They’ve got enormous sales targets on them. Aim for 20%, maybe even a bit more.
The car is fundamentally good. It’s quiet, charges well on fast chargers and is efficient. Downside is the software is a bit wanky - although it’s probably already much better than when it was launched, and some of the interior materials are not to everyone’s taste.
One of the ‘post school playpark group’ of Dads of it is VW UK employee and, while this gives probable bias, the positivity of their comments now compared to when one was first foisted on them is very noticeable. It would probably be my choice at the moment because it looks like a car and the lease deals are frequently excellent.
Agree with that, the interior was a big non event. They’ve tried to make it feel like a normal car, they have succeeded in the most underwhelming way.
Black headlining made it feel very gloomy too, esp in the back.
It did drive well though, quick, smooth and quiet.
Fundamentaly the ID3 is good but not for us.
I found the Leaf’s seat and driving position odd (uncomfortable) so ruled it out for that. Fussy interior that had very little going for it.
Again it drove well and was quick, not as quiet as ID3.
